After Two Long Years
by Catharine Carter
Summary: 1st Ch: Missing Scene from Freaky Phoebe. 2nd Ch: A year later. 3rd Ch:Phoebe goes back to Cole's 117th, er, 116th birthday. 4th Ch: Potion time. 5th Ch: Showdown. Please r
1. Missing Scene

Disclaimer: Charmed belongs to Constance M. Burge and Spelling Entertainment.

Setting: Missing scene in Freaky Phoebe after Piper and Paige vanquish Phoebe who was in Imara's body.

* * *

Phoebe looked around and found herself standing in her bedroom confused. "Phoebe?" she heard a familiar voice call her from the window seat. She turned around and saw him. There he was standing there in front of her.

"Cole," was all she could say, straightening up.

He walked closer to her, "How did you get her?"

"Imara tricked Piper and Paige into vanquishing me," Phoebe told him, still unsure about what was going on.

"Imara switched souls with you?" he asked, shaking his head. "Don't worry, though. Piper and Paige will take care of her and bring you back."

She knew that. She had no doubt about that. She knew she wasn't crossing over because she wasn't supposed to. Piper and Paige were probably working on a way to bring her back. She could explain all that, but she couldn't explain what Cole was doing there.

"Where are we?" she asked, thinking that was as good of starting place as any.

"It's a kind of limbo," Cole told her, wanting to take her in his arms, but knowing it probably wasn't the best of times. Instead he just said, "It's great to talk _with_ you again."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, finally.

Cole shrugged, "I'm stuck. I can't leave."

Phoebe looked at Cole and wondered, "What do you mean, you're stuck?"

"Well," he said, walking closer to her, "I'm bound to you, literally. I can't move on because neither of us can move on from each other." She knew he was right, she could feel it, but she still had no clue what to do about it. That's when Cole added, "That's why I sent Drake-- to at least help you to move on."

"Wait a minute," she interrupted. "You sent Drake?"

Cole nodded again, "I told him where to find that sorcerer. I told him where to find you-- how to get you to trust him."

She looked at him warmly, "You did all that for me?"

Cole softly laughed, "You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Phoebe took a deep breath and swallowed her pride. Quickly closing the distance between them, she stepped to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly to her. "Oh, Cole! I've missed you so much! I'm so, so sorry," she told him, never wanting to let go. Cole stood there stunned for a moment then wrapped his arms around her, praying it was real, and if it was, hoping it would never end. Phoebe heard her sisters chanting a spell to bring her back to her body. Se felt her herself begin to dissemble and she pulled back just to look into his eyes. She knew she wouldn't be there much longer, so she had to tell him now.

"I love you, Cole. I always will," she told him and then kissed him.

After the short kiss, he looked into her eyes, pouring his heart out to her with the last words she would hear from him, "I will always love you, my darling Phoebe."

And with that, she dematerialized and moved in a swirl of particles up to the attic.


	2. Bound to Each Other

Phoebe lay awake in her bed unable to sleep. She was thinking about Cole. He had been on her mind a lot lately. Ever since she saw him a year ago after her sisters vanquished her thinking she was Imara, she had thought about him off and on, but lately it seemed to be constantly.

She then, as if all of a suddenly, wondered if he was there with her right then. She wondered if he was always there. She had to speak _with_ him; so she decided to call him to her.

She sat up in her bed and turned on the lamp beside her bed. "Spirit from the other side, Come to me, I summon the, Cross now the great divide," she chanted quietly. Then, in a swirl of lights, Cole appeared. He was lying there beside her on the bed. His arms were resting behind his head, and he appeared to be sleeping.

"Cole," she said his name softly. He opened his eyes and saw that she was actually speaking directly to him, and she could see him.

He sat up and questioned, "Pho-Phoebe? What's going on?"

She didn't seem to show any emotion and simply answered, "I summoned you."

He nodded, "Ok, but why? I—"

Phoebe stopped him by saying, "I've been thinking about what you told me. I believe you're right. We are bonded to each other."

He nodded, "And?"

She couldn't believe she was saying this, but she truly believed it, "We're not going to be able to move on from each other."

Cole stood up and walked over to the window, "I'm not able to move on, but you still can. I know you can. Drake helped prove to me that you can. I mean, you've been married, so I know you can move on."

"That's not what I'm saying," she told him, standing up and walking over to him. "You're not understanding what I'm trying to say."

Cole looked down at her. She was so beautiful, and even though she had changed some during the last few years, he could still see that beautiful younger woman he fell in love with. He wanted to touch her, and, even if she wanted him to, he knew he couldn't.

Phoebe looked at him, "I'm going to do anything I can to bring you back."

He was still very confused. It was her who had vanquished him, and now she was talking about bringing him back. He _must_ be misunderstanding.

"Why?" he asked. "So you can vanquish me yet again? I don't know about you, but I've had a little more of that than I can take."

"No, Cole," she said, wishing she could touch him to let him _feel_ how much she wanted him to understand, "I'm going to bring you back because I now know that there is no getting over what we had. You were my greatest love, and I'm not going to let what we had just be what we _had_."

He looked down at her wanting to believe her. She looked up at him, wondering what it would take for him to believe her. She licked her lips, "I love you, Cole."

He looked like he was going to cry. He had never been able to show those emotions too well. He gave her the same look he gave the time he had said he loved her that brought her back from being a banshee. "I love you, Phoebe," he smiled. It had been a long time since he had been able to tell her that with her being able to hear him and also reciprocating the way he felt.

The only thing that would make this better would be for them to be able to touch. He lifted his hand to caress her cheek. The both gasped when they felt his palm on her cheek. They looked at each other with wide-eyed amazement. They both pulled the other into their arms simultaneously and began to kiss fervently. Cole picked her up and walked with her back to the bed. He laid her down on the bed and leaned in for another kiss. When their lips didn't meet, he opened his eyes and saw that she was looking around confused. He laid back on the bed and sighed heavily as she got up off the bed.

"Cole?" Phoebe called to him and he looked up at her, "I don't know where you are right now, but I've got to go. I've got to get ready and go over to the manor before I go to work. I'm going to figure out a way to bring you back. Someway. Don't worry. I'll figure something out."

"I know you will," he said, even knowing she couldn't hear him, before she walked into the bathroom to get ready. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed heavily. He knew Phoebe would be able to bring him back, he just didn't know when. He had faith now though, faith that he hadn't had in the longest time.


	3. Too Good?

Phoebe walked into the manor that day after work. She was grateful that everyone was still asleep and continued up to the attic to look at the book of shadows. She was determined to find a way to go to an alternate reality- - she just had to find the right spell. She didn't want to make a mistake and turn her reality into an alternate reality. She came across a spell to go to another reality, but the way it was worded, it would only take her to another reality in the same time as she was currently in. She had to figure out a way to go to a different reality and go back in time as well. She and her sisters had traveled forward in time before to save her from being burned at the stake, and then to come back to the present- just one of a few times when they had actually traveled through time. All this spell needed was a little word changing and reordering and she would have the perfect spell to take her back in time, and into the reality when Paige and her alternate reality self and Piper had vanquished Cole.

She took a pad of paper from the table beside the Book of Shadow and sat down in the couch beside the table to rewrite the spell. It just took her a few minutes and she had a perfectly rewritten spell. Now to test it out. She stood up and walked back over to the table to pick up some candles. She took them to the carpet area and arranged them in a circle, lighting them one by one. She stood in the middle of the carpet and the lit circle of candles and looked up to the ceiling. "I hope this works," she prayed, closing her eyes and turning her head back down to the paper she had torn off of the pad. She opened her eyes and read the words again to double check them. This had to work. She took a deep breath and bit her lip. She closed her eyes one more time and swallowed before opening her eyes and looking at the paper, this time to read the words out loud.

"Hear my words," she read, "hear my cry That I might cross through time to the world Where I might find whose heart is entwined with mine." Phoebe looked around as swirling lights came from the glowing candles to engulf her. She clutched the paper in both hands tight to her breast, closing her eyes. The swirls of lights embraced her completely, taking her from the attic and downstairs to the room that had been hers when she was living at the manor. Piper had converted it into a bedroom for Matthew, but when Phoebe felt the movement stop, she opened her eyes and found that the room was completely redesigned. A four-poster bed stood in the place where hers used to be. She also noticed that her clothes had changed too. She was dressed in a red, satin dress with a plunging neckline.

Phoebe took a deep breath. She heard a bunch of people yell "Surprise" from downstairs. She looked at herself in the mirror standing across the room from the bed. From what Paige had told her about what had happened when she was in the alternate reality to vanquish Cole, Phoebe deducted that she had arrived where she wanted to be. She decided that she should get downstairs. Cole should be downstairs and he'd want to see her, but she knew she couldn't just jump into his arms. It shouldn't be as easy as that. She decided to wait until Paige showed up. She could carry the charade Paige had said the alternate Phoebe had. She took a deep breath and left the room, heading for the stairs.

Phoebe heard the people in the room gasp as she walked downstairs. She smiled and waved softly at everybody, making her way to the end of the stairs, and there was Cole, standing in front of her. He wasn't the Cole she had seen earlier in her bedroom, but rather, Phoebe beheld, the Cole she knew from before. In fact, Cole looked like he had when he was Belthazor. Could it be that in this reality Cole had actually remained Belthazor? She tried not to show how glad she was to see him, although she could see how grateful he was to see her.

"What's the matter?" she asked him. "Not what you expected?"

"No. No." Cole whispered. "You look- - you look great, really."

It took everything Phoebe had not to throw her arms around him and tell him everything's ok, everything's going to be all right, but she knew she couldn't. She had to play as though she was the Phoebe from that reality.

Cole continued, "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

He slowly moves in to kiss her. As much as she would love to return that kiss, she turned her head and closed her eyes. Paige had said this Phoebe was having an affair on him and really didn't care for Cole that much, so letting him kiss her right now would be completely out of character for her. Cole pulled away from her, a pained look on his face. Phoebe turned back to look at him. That pain alone was enough to break down right there, but she had to wait for Paige.

Where was it she said they met up? The kitchen, right. Phoebe had to make her way to the kitchen. She descended the rest of the stairs and walked around him toward the kitchen. A man stepped up to her and took her hand, kissing it. She gushed when he gave her a compliment and took her hand from him suavely. She quickly walked away from him and into the kitchen. She was angered to see some chef-like people in the kitchen- - in PIPER'S kitchen.

"Leave me!" she demanded of them.

They left immediately. She made her way over to the other side of the room and placed her hands on the counter to brace herself. Could she do this? Did she really think she could convince her sister that she couldn't do what she had planned to do? She had to. She had to prevent Cole from being vanquished yet again. She couldn't let him go through that again.

Paige entered the room behind her, and Phoebe turned to face her as Paige exclaimed how happy she was to see her.

"Phoebe," was all she said, but Phoebe could tell she was happy to see her.

Not as happy as Phoebe was though. She sighed thankfully, "Oh, Paige, am I glad to see you!"

"You are?" Paige was confused. "I mean, you recognize me? Piper didn't when I saw her. I didn't think you would either."

"Paige, it's me," Phoebe told her little sister. "I'm Phoebe from your reality."

"What are you doing here?" Paige asked. "I thought I was the only one who stayed in Cole's loop."

"You were," Phoebe told her, but then shook her head to clarify. "Well, you were the first time... I'm not actually from where you're from. I am, I'm just... I'm from your future, Paige. Two years into your future really."

"But what- - ?" Paige didn't understand.

"- - Am I doing here?" Phoebe finished her sister's question. Paige nodded and Phoebe continued. "I've come back to stop you," Phoebe told Paige. "I can't let you vanquish Cole."

"Why? You hate him," Paige felt like she had to remind her.

"You're right, I _did_ hate him," Phoebe corrected, "but love and hate come from the same place really. You can't really hate someone until you've really loved someone. I guarantee you you'll understand when I get back to my time, even if you don't now."

"But Phoebe..." Paige started, not quite sure what to say.

Phoebe shook her head, "Please, Paige. He's changed. He's not the demon he used to be."

"You mean we didn't end up vanquishing him anyway?"

"No, you did," Phoebe told her. "He's been stuck in limbo since then."

"Well, good," Paige stated, paining Phoebe to hear her say those words.

"Please, Paige," Phoebe pleaded with her sister.

"I'm sorry Phoebe," Paige told her as she heard someone come in the kitchen behind her. She turned to see Darryl walk through the swinging door.

"Oh, Darryl, am I glad to see you!" Paige turned back to Phoebe, "Tell her we have to vanquish Cole."

Darryl looked to Phoebe, "Is she bothering you, Phoebe?"

Paige hung her head. Darryl didn't recognize her.

Phoebe looked from Darryl to Paige, "I'm sorry too, Paige." She turned to look back to Darryl, "Get rid of her."

Darryl steps closer to Paige and takes her arm. Paige pulls her arm away, "No! What are you doing?"

"What bodyguards do," Phoebe told her little sister.

Paige looked into her sister's eyes, "Phoebe, I know you better than you know yourself right now. In your heart of hearts, you know you're not meant to be with Cole. You're happier back home, you're free of him, and you're happy."

"You're wrong, Paige. I'm a mess. I need Cole in my life. You have to understand," Phoebe told her sister as Darryl pulled out his gun and aimed for her. Paige turned to see Darryl and barely ducked out of the way as a bullet flew by her, barely missing, and hitting the microwave. Paige ran out the back door a few feet behind her. Phoebe closed her eyes and nodded. Now was the time to go tell Cole. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. It was time to find Cole to save him. She nodded and left the room.

The man who had taken her hand and kissed it just a few minutes ago walked up to her, "What do you say we ditch this party and go on up to your room?"

Phoebe politely stepped away from him, "Sorry, not this time."

The man looked at her confused and Phoebe started up the stairs alone, knowing Cole would follow her. She went into her bedroom to wait for him. She took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. Cole would be up any minute.

The door opened and she turned, expecting to see Cole. Instead, she saw the man who her alternate self had apparently been having an affair with.

"What part of NO don't you understand?" Phoebe demanded of him.

He shut the door and walked over to her, pulling her to her feet, "Well, if you want to play that game."

Phoebe had had just about all she could take of him and pushed him away, "I said no, and I meant no!"

"So you want it rough as well," the demon said, stepping closer to her.

"No!" Phoebe said, twirling around in a roundhouse kick, knocking the demon against the dresser and onto the wall.

Just as he hit the floor, Cole came charging into the room, guns ready. Phoebe had never been more happy to see him. She looked at the demon on the floor and back to Cole.

"This isn't what it looks like, Cole," seemed like an appropriate line for this instance, but surprisingly being the truth.

The demon stood and took the defensive, "That's right, not what it seems, my liege. I should just- -"

The demon started to side skirt around Cole, but Cole stepped in his way, "What it looks like is my wife here was trying to kick your sorry ass." He looked at Phoebe, directing a compliment at her, "And from the looks of it, she could have handled everything pretty well without my intrusion, but, seeing as I'm here already..." Cole conjured a fireball in his right hand and sent it the close range at the demon, incinerating him on the spot. He turned to look at Phoebe, "Sorry, but I don't appreciate another man screwing my wife."

Phoebe quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him passionately. She pulled away and looked into his face, "I have never been more happy to see you than I am right now."

Cole was a bit confused, "I don't get it. Didn't you just come up here to screw around with that demon."

Phoebe released her embrace around him and crossed her arms, "What- - No. I was waiting for you." She decided to get right to the point, "Cole, I'm not who you think I am."

Cole took a step back from her, "If you're not Phoebe, then who are you?"

"I'm Phoebe, just not the Phoebe you were expecting," she noted. "I'm from the future. Two years in the future to be exact. I've come back to stop my sister from vanquishing you."

Cole nodded, "She can't vanquish me, not without- - The Power of Three. Paige!"

"See, Paige was kept out of your reality switch because she was orbing at the time you did what you did and she was wound up here," Phoebe began to explain. "She's here now to reconstitute the Power of Three in this reality to vanquish... you."

Cole walked into the room. He had to sit down. Turning around, he sat down on the bed and looked up at her. "I still don't understand why you're here," he told her, honestly.

Phoebe shut the door and walked over to him, kneeling down in front of him, "I've come back to prevent you, the Cole from my reality, from getting vanquished. I can't stand the thought of you stuck in limbo, unable to move on. So, that's why I'm here, to take you back with me."

"To the future?" Cole asked, receiving a nod and continuing. "To a future where I've been dead, really dead, for two years."

"Yes, Cole. Isn't this what you wanted? For us to be together?" Phoebe couldn't understand his hesitance. She couldn't understand why he wasn't taking her in his arms and holding her, making the two long years since his death, the three long years since she and her sisters had vanquished him as the Source, just melt away.

Cole reached out a hand and caressed her cheek, "What about your sisters?"

Phoebe smiled brightly, taking his hand in hers, and kissing the palm before answering, "Well, you've already gotten Piper on your side. And Paige, I know she will be hard to convince, but I'm sure things will work out."

'It couldn't be that simple,' Cole thought. He didn't think that all he went through just to get everything he wanted would be that easy. The Avatars. He shook his head. "I can't, Phoebe," he told her, "I've sworn my allegiance to the Avatars. I can't just go back with you. I'd have to join them. And if I know Paige, she won't be too eager to welcome me back knowing I'm one of them."

Phoebe thought for a moment and then nodded, "They won't know. As soon as I take you back to the Future with me, the Cole from this reality will return, and the Avatars will believe that it was you who the Power of Three vanquished in this reality."

She had obviously put a lot of thought into this plan, Cole thought. Somehow he knew that everything was going to be alright just because she said it would.

He took Phoebe's hands and stood up, pulling her to her feet, pulling her into his arms to kiss her. A kiss, to both of them, feeling like had been building for a thousand years. The kiss was hot, it was urgent, and it was most definitely filled with love. They could both feel it. The love they had for each other had never died. It was the love they had had for each other long before the Hollow had ever overtaken him and ruined their marriage before it even began.

Phoebe pulled out of his embrace and took his hand, "Come on, we have to get back. I have to save you now. You've been in limbo far too long."

Cole held onto her hand, staying in place for the moment, "Promise me you'll fill me in on the past two years when we get back home."

Phoebe smiled and raised her other hand to his face, caressing his cheek, "I promise."

He smiled and let her lead him from the bedroom out into the hall.

As they enter the hallway, Phoebe and Cole come face to face with the Piper from that reality, dressed head to toe in black leather, hair pulled back into a wrapped ponytail.

"What are you doing here?" Both Phoebe and Cole asked at the same time.

Piper smirked at them. "Saving my sister," she told them, raising her hands to send powerful blast at Cole, throwing him back against the cabinet against the wall.

Phoebe jumps when Leo and Paige orb in beside her. Cole slowly gets up and notices Paige standing by Phoebe, holding an athame. There was no question as to what that was for.

"You!" Cole glared at the baby sister Halliwell.

"Surprise," Paige smirked, moving forward to quickly slice a piece of flesh from his right hand.

Cole yells out in pain, looking to Phoebe for help. She moves to help him to his feet, but is stopped by Paige and Leo taking each of her hands. They begin to orb out as Cole gets to his feet. He fires an energy ball at Paige just as they were orbing out with Phoebe. The energy ball went right through the orb of bright, swirling lights, hitting the wall beside Phoebe's bedroom door. He hung his head, shaking it slightly. Despair didn't completely overtake him when he realized he had nothing to worry about. Phoebe loved him, she always had, and nothing her two sisters in this time could say would change her mind. Nothing could when she had already made it up. He just had to sit and bide his time.


	4. Potion Time

Phoebe shook free of Paige and Leo's grasp, "What are you doing? Take me back right now. You have to take me back."

Leo looked to Paige confused who in turn took her sister by her shoulders. "Phoebe..."

Phoebe shook free once again and walked away from them, "I told you Paige. I'm not the Phoebe from your time. I'm from your future. From a future where I don't want to be without Cole." She looked around what looked to be like P3, yet everything looked as though a tornado had hit. She noticed the makeshift cauldron on the bar and knew what was brewing in it. "No, Paige, you can't."

"We have to, Phoebe," Piper stepped in, wanting to stop all this nonsense. "It's the only way."

Phoebe turned to Piper, "No, Piper, you don't understand. I'm miserable in my future without Cole. And in that future, it was you who old me that Cole was stuck in limbo and could not move on because of me."

"I said that?" Piper wondered incrdulously.

"Yes, now please. Don't do this." Phoebe pleaded with her older sister.

Piper hung her head, "Leo... Could you just orb her out of her while we finish this potion?"

"Piper, no,"Phoebe cried as Leo took hold of her arm and orbed her out of the disheveled P3.

Piper looked to Paige who was holding the slice of flesh from Cole's hand. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Paige nodded. "Now stand back."

They both stood back and Paige tossed the flesh into the cauldron as a tiny explosion followed by a puff of smoke errupted.

"Nice memory," Piper acknowledged.

"Thanks," Paige accepted. "I learned from the best." She looked Piper in the eye. "I learned from you."

Piper's tough demeanor faded as a soft smile spread across her lips. "Shall we, sis?"

Paige nodded.

"Leo?" Piper called.

He orbed back in holding Phoebe's arm.

"Let's go," Piper continued, taking Paige's hand and then Leo's.

Leo looked down at her hand grasping his then slowly up to meet Piper's gaze.

Piper knew what he was thinking and took a deep breath, not wanting to go down that path right now. "Let's just go, Leo."

Leo nodded and orbed them out.


	5. Showdown

They orbed into the the kitchen of the manor and started looking around for any signs of demons. Phoebe decided to stay with them until they found Cole, strength in numbers.

They walked through the dining room and into the parlor.

"Where's Cole?"

Piper wondered just as Cole walks into the room, "Right here."

He throws an energy ball across the room, knocking Piper, Paige and Leo back agasint the wall beneath the stairs. They all fell to the floor. The potion vial fell to the floor as well. Cole flicked his hand and the vial flew into his hand.

Paige took Piper's hand, who was laying there unconscious. Paige looked up to Phoebe, pleading, "She's still alive. Grab her hand."

Phoebe realized that the power of three hadn't been reconstituted in this reality yet and knew that if Piper was going to be ok, she was going to have to grab her hand to do so.

Phoebe leans down and takes Piper's hand in her own. A bright light shines down around them as Cole sends an energy ball toward Paige. The light reflected the ball, sending it back toward Cole, who ducked, sending the energy ball toward the window behind him.

Paige opened her hand and called for the vial, "Potion."

The potion orbed out of Cole's hand and into Paige's. "I do hate long goodbyes."

She goes to throw the potion and Phoebe takes the vial from her.

"Phoebe, are you crazy? Throw it before he shimmer's out," Paige yelled.

If what Phoebe had said earlier was any indication, he knew Phoebe wouldn't do so. "She's not going to throw it. Are you?" he asked Phoebe, looking for confirmation.

Paige pleaded with Phoebe, "Throw the potion."

Cole looked deep into Phoebe's eyes from across the room. "We've been through so much together, haven't we? Our love's so strong, nothing can destroy it. Not even tis. We're meant to be together."

Phoebe looked down to Piper and back to Paige, "I'm sorry, Paige. I hope you'll understand."

"Phoebe!" Paige made one last final attempt as Phoebe threw the vial down on the floor. A puff of smoke puffs up from the shattered glass and seaped out liquid.

Cole exhaled a sigh of relief as Phoebe ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply.

Back across the room, they heard Piper begin to stir, and turned to see her getting to her feet. She had another vial in her hand and and was preparing to throw it.

"Piper, no!" Phoebe screamed at her sister.

Piper threw the vial anyway and Cole thought fast enough and sent an energy ball at the vial, creating a puff of smoke half way between them in the air.

Phoebe exhaled a sigh of releif and turned back to Cole, "Let's go home."

Cole nodded, taking her back into his arms.

Phoebe looked up into his eyes and began to incantate the spell to send them both back, "Hear my words, hear my cry That we may cross back through time to the world where I reside."

A swirl of lights formed around them and then they were gone.


End file.
